Attendance Affects Marks

 Attendance Affects Marks

 

Students at St. Clair College MediaPlex find plenty of excuses to miss class, but professors don’t take any of them, and students who attend class regularly don’t take them either.  

Kyla Kjarsgaard-Stiers, a first-year Travel and Tourism student, says that students need to take the initiative and adjust their schedules. She said she never used her job as an excuse to miss class, and regularly attends classes to complete assignments. 

“Not enough people have initiative, and take the time to learn about the course and go to school,” said Kjarsgaar-Stiers.

Veronique Mandal, a professor for the Journalism program, says that about 25 of 35 students attend class regularly. Excuses by students can be valid, such as emergencies or transportation, but some just don’t show up. International students have problems getting visas for the courses, or students drop courses after the first semester, finding another program that fits them better, according to multiple professors. 

Debbie Laselva, coordinator for the Tourism and Travel program, stressed that in-class assignments contribute to final marks, and not completing them has consequences.

 “I’ve told them right upfront, if they’re not going to come to class, it’s not my business…. If you miss an assignment, you get a zero. We all stick with that.”

Kjarsgaard-Stiers said she has witnessed students fail assignments, simply from not attending class, and even drop courses eventually. 

Attendance in class greatly affects the education of college students, and when they miss, it is possible to fail the course, according to students and professors.